Walter Lee (Australian politician)
Encyclopedia
Sir Walter Henry Lee KCMG
(27 April 1874 – 1 June 1963) was an Australia
n politician and member of the Tasmanian House of Assembly
. He was Premier of Tasmania
on three occasions: from 15 April 1916 to 12 August 1922; from 14 August 1923 to 25 October 1923; and from 15 March 1934 to 22 June 1934.
Lee was born in Longford
in Tasmania
's north-east, where he was educated to primary level at Longford State School. He joined his father's business, and later went into business with his brother as a wheelwright with Lee Bros.
Lee was elected to the Tasmanian House of Assembly
at the 1909 election
, representing the rural seat of Wilmot
for the Anti-Socialist Party
. In 1912, the party became the Commonwealth Liberal Party
, and later became the Nationalist Party
. In 1915, Lee became Leader of the Opposition
, and after the Liberals won 15 out of 30 seats at the 1916 election
, Lee was sworn in as Premier of Tasmania
(also serving as Minister for Education; and Chief Secretary until 1922). In spite of World War I
, the first term of Lee's government was relatively smooth, and as the Nationalist Party
, they retained government in the 1919 election
with a one-seat majority.
At the 1922 election
, the emergence of the Country Party
split the anti-Labor vote. With the Country Party holding the balance of power, but openly antagonistic towards him, Lee resigned as Premier (after a record term) and handed over to John Hayes
, who was unanimously elected premier in a coalition government, with Lee as Treasurer. Unable to resolve Tasmania's financial crisis, Hayes resigned after a year and Lee became premier again, albeit only for ten weeks after he was defeated by a Labor no-confidence motion
, and Labor's Joseph Lyons
became Premier.
Lee became Premier for a third time in 1934, when as Deputy Premier he took over for John McPhee
, who retired due to ill-health. His term lasted for three months, when Labor won the 1934 election
, although he remained as Leader of the Opposition until July 1936. He lost his seat in the 1946 election
, where he ran as an Independent Liberal after failing to secure endorsement from the new Liberal Party of Australia
.
He was knighted
in the 1920 New Year Honours and appointed Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG) in the 1922 New Year Honours.
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
(27 April 1874 – 1 June 1963) was an Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n politician and member of the Tasmanian House of Assembly
Tasmanian House of Assembly
The House of Assembly, or Lower House, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of Tasmania in Australia. The other is the Legislative Council or Upper House...
. He was Premier of Tasmania
Premiers of Tasmania
The Premier of Tasmania is the head of the executive government in the Australian state of Tasmania. By convention, the party or political grouping which has majority support in the House of Assembly will nominate its leader to be Premier. The nominated politician is then invited by the Governor of...
on three occasions: from 15 April 1916 to 12 August 1922; from 14 August 1923 to 25 October 1923; and from 15 March 1934 to 22 June 1934.
Lee was born in Longford
Longford, Tasmania
Longford is a town in the north-east of Tasmania, Australia. It lies 175 m above sea level at the convergence of the Macquarie River and the South Esk River, 21 km south of Launceston. It is just south of the Illawarra Road, a road connecting the Bass and Midland Highways. It has a...
in Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
's north-east, where he was educated to primary level at Longford State School. He joined his father's business, and later went into business with his brother as a wheelwright with Lee Bros.
Lee was elected to the Tasmanian House of Assembly
Tasmanian House of Assembly
The House of Assembly, or Lower House, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of Tasmania in Australia. The other is the Legislative Council or Upper House...
at the 1909 election
Tasmanian state election, 1909
A general election for the House of Assembly was held in the Australian state of Tasmania on 30 April 1909...
, representing the rural seat of Wilmot
Division of Wilmot
The Division of Wilmot was an Australian Electoral Division in the state of Tasmania. It was located in central Tasmania, and was named after Sir John Eardley-Wilmot, the sixth Lieutenant-Governor of Tasmania...
for the Anti-Socialist Party
Free Trade Party
The Free Trade Party which was officially known as the Australian Free Trade and Liberal Association, also referred to as the Revenue Tariff Party in some states and renamed the Anti-Socialist Party in 1906, was an Australian political party, formally organised between 1889 and 1909...
. In 1912, the party became the Commonwealth Liberal Party
Commonwealth Liberal Party
The Commonwealth Liberal Party was a political movement active in Australia from 1909 to 1916, shortly after federation....
, and later became the Nationalist Party
Nationalist Party of Australia
The Nationalist Party of Australia was an Australian political party. It was formed on 17 February 1917 from a merger between the conservative Commonwealth Liberal Party and the National Labor Party, the name given to the pro-conscription defectors from the Australian Labor Party led by Prime...
. In 1915, Lee became Leader of the Opposition
Leader of the Opposition (Tasmania)
The role of Leader of the Opposition in Tasmania is a title held by the leader of the largest minority party in the state lower house, the Tasmanian House of Assembly. He or she acts as the public face of the opposition, leading the government on the floor of parliament...
, and after the Liberals won 15 out of 30 seats at the 1916 election
Tasmanian state election, 1916
A general election for the House of Assembly was held in the Australian state of Tasmania on 23 March 1916 .-Background:...
, Lee was sworn in as Premier of Tasmania
Premiers of Tasmania
The Premier of Tasmania is the head of the executive government in the Australian state of Tasmania. By convention, the party or political grouping which has majority support in the House of Assembly will nominate its leader to be Premier. The nominated politician is then invited by the Governor of...
(also serving as Minister for Education; and Chief Secretary until 1922). In spite of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, the first term of Lee's government was relatively smooth, and as the Nationalist Party
Nationalist Party of Australia
The Nationalist Party of Australia was an Australian political party. It was formed on 17 February 1917 from a merger between the conservative Commonwealth Liberal Party and the National Labor Party, the name given to the pro-conscription defectors from the Australian Labor Party led by Prime...
, they retained government in the 1919 election
Tasmanian state election, 1919
A general election for the House of Assembly was held in the Australian state of Tasmania on 31 May 1919.-Background:By the time of the 1919 election, the Liberal Party had regrouped and been renamed as the Nationalist Party...
with a one-seat majority.
At the 1922 election
Tasmanian state election, 1922
A general election for the House of Assembly was held in the Australian state of Tasmania on 10 June 1922.-Background:The incumbent Premier of Tasmania at the time of the 1922 election was Walter Lee of the Nationalist Party. Before the election, a new party had emerged, the Country Party, a...
, the emergence of the Country Party
National Party of Australia
The National Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Traditionally representing graziers, farmers and rural voters generally, it began as the The Country Party, but adopted the name The National Country Party in 1975, changed to The National Party of Australia in 1982. The party is...
split the anti-Labor vote. With the Country Party holding the balance of power, but openly antagonistic towards him, Lee resigned as Premier (after a record term) and handed over to John Hayes
John Hayes (Australian politician)
John Blyth Hayes was Premier of Tasmania from 12 August 1922 to 14 August 1923. Hayes was also the President of the Australian Senate from 1 July 1938 to 30 June 1941.Hayes was born in Bridgewater, and died in Launceston....
, who was unanimously elected premier in a coalition government, with Lee as Treasurer. Unable to resolve Tasmania's financial crisis, Hayes resigned after a year and Lee became premier again, albeit only for ten weeks after he was defeated by a Labor no-confidence motion
Motion of no confidence
A motion of no confidence is a parliamentary motion whose passing would demonstrate to the head of state that the elected parliament no longer has confidence in the appointed government.-Overview:Typically, when a parliament passes a vote of no...
, and Labor's Joseph Lyons
Joseph Lyons
Joseph Aloysius Lyons, CH was an Australian politician. He was Labor Premier of Tasmania from 1923 to 1928 and a Minister in the James Scullin government from 1929 until his resignation from the Labor Party in March 1931...
became Premier.
Lee became Premier for a third time in 1934, when as Deputy Premier he took over for John McPhee
John McPhee (Australian politician)
Sir John Cameron McPhee, KCMG was an Australian politician and member of the Tasmanian House of Assembly. He was Premier of Tasmania from 15 June 1928 to 15 March 1934.-Early life:...
, who retired due to ill-health. His term lasted for three months, when Labor won the 1934 election
Tasmanian state election, 1934
A general election for the House of Assembly was held in the Australian state of Tasmania on 9 June 1934.-Background:The Nationalist Party managed a huge victory in the 1931 election, but Premier of Tasmania John McPhee had resigned due to health problems, and the Nationalists were led into the...
, although he remained as Leader of the Opposition until July 1936. He lost his seat in the 1946 election
Tasmanian state election, 1946
A general election for the House of Assembly was held in the Australian state of Tasmania on 23 November 1946.-Background:Incumbent Premier Robert Cosgrove continued to lead the Labor Party into the 1946 election. The Nationalist Party had reformed into the modern Liberal Party of Australia, and...
, where he ran as an Independent Liberal after failing to secure endorsement from the new Liberal Party of Australia
Liberal Party of Australia
The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...
.
He was knighted
Knight Bachelor
The rank of Knight Bachelor is a part of the British honours system. It is the most basic rank of a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not as a member of one of the organised Orders of Chivalry...
in the 1920 New Year Honours and appointed Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG) in the 1922 New Year Honours.